Releasable window grille



Sept. 20, 1955 c. 1. DUBE f RELEASABLE WINDOW GRILLE Filed Jan. 8, 1955 L F 71 INVENTOR CHARLES I. DUBE @224 ATTORN EY United States Patent 0 RELEASABLE WINDOW GRILLE Charles I. Dube, Titusville, N. J.

Application January 8, 1953, Serial No. 330,323

3 Claims. (CI. 20-71 This invention is concerned with window grilles, such as are adapted to be applied to detention homes and buildings, such as asylums and prisons. The invention is particularly concerned with an improved system for mounting such grilles or gratings in such a way that they are readily releasable in case of an emergency, such as a fire in the building, by authorized persons but still they are secure against unauthorized escape. The authorized release of the grille during a fire serves not only to allow the inmates to escape under supervision but also the entry of firemen to attack the blaze.

It is an object of the invention to provide a system of this type that is adapted to fit conventional grilles, even of the lightest standard construction, whether supported on brackets outside, or recessed within, the wall openings for the windows. A further object is to provide a release mechanism of simple construction which is quickly operable. A further object is to provide a releasabie grille system that is applicable not only to new installations but is also applicable to existing structures without the necessity to completely dismantle or replace the previously installed grilles. Another object is to provide a system that is adapted to be applied to existing structures with a minimum of additional parts, and relatively little expense in terms of money, time, and labor. Another object is to provide a system in which the release lock or control is available, even for windows on upper floors, without the necessity to climb a ladder outside the building or to go inside the building to the specific window to be opened. Another object is to provide a system in which the release control is available on the ground level, either outside or inside the building. Another object is to provide a system in which a release control common to a plurality of grilles is available on ground level. Another object is to provide a system having a control box protected against operation by unaur thorized persons. Another object is to provide a pivotal mounting of the grille about a generally vertical axis at one side of the grille so that after release it can be swung substantially or completely out of the way of the window by a person inside or outside the window with little exertion of force, and such swinging can be easily controlled to prevent any damage to the building or grille mounting and to avoid loss of balance by any person who might be on a ladder while opening the grille. Another object is to provide a rigid fastening or latching device and a rigid connection between such device and the releasing means whereby tamperproof, positive locking and release of the grille are obtained. Another important object is to provide a control mechanism which cannot be operated merely by direct application of force to the grille fastening means itself, whereby the control mechanism is self-locking. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the drawing and the description thereof hereinafter.

In the drawing, which is illustrative of the invention,

Figure 1 is a face view of a part of a building to which the invention has been applied,

Patented Sept. 20, 1955 the control box,

Figure 6 is an end view of the control box plug,

Figure 7 is an end view of the pinion driving head, and

Figure 8 is a side view of a crank-type of wrench for the control box.

In Figure 1, there is shown the wall of a building having windows 2 at various floor levels. The ground level is indicated at 3, the lower window in the wall casing or opening 4 extending below ground level into a window well 5. Besides the windows at, or just above or below, ground level, there may be windows at upper and/or lower levels, such as in basements, subbasements, or in upper floors. Any or all of such windows may be provided with protective or detention gratings. Such gratings may take various forms, that shown being a simple and quite common type comprising fiat horizontal strips 6 of rectangular cross-section which are rigidly joined by vertical rods 7 of any desired cross-section, such as round or square, which may, for example, extend through bores in the strips 6.

At least two (preferably the uppermost and lowermost) of the strips (and preferably all) are pivotally or hingedly secured at one of their ends to brackets or fixtures 8 adjacent the window opening. As shown at the upper window, these fixtures are secured in the wall of the building and project outwardly from the wall at positions adjacent but outside the opening 4. Pivot means, such as bolts or rivets 9, having a circular cross-section extend through strips 6 and fixtures 8. To assure permanent pivotal action, the fastenings 9 should be of a material resistant to corrosion, such as stainless steel, or it the strips 6 are not of corrosion-resistant material, a bronze bushing or sleeve may be inserted in the bores of strips 6 which receive the pivots 9. All of the pivots 9 for a given grille must be in substantial alignment to allow free pivotal action.

Each of a plurality of fixtures 8a on the other side of the window opening is welded to an offset recess or slot 10 (see Fig. 2) in a slotted fitting 11 which is thereby fixedly supported in front of the wall where it extends for the most part horizontally away from the window opening to receive the end of a strip 6. A plurality of such fittings 11 may be rigidly interconnected by a stifiening rod 13 welded or otherwise permanently secured to the fittings 11. The fittings 11 cooperate with the latching means and serve as guide means as described hereinafter.

Means is provided for releasably securing or latching the grating strips 6 to the brackets or fixtures 8a. This comprises the provision of a plurality of pins 14 each of which is reciprocable through vertically aligned bores in the upper and lower legs of the slotted fitting 11 and the bracket 8a. As shown in Fig. 2, these bores may be provided with suitable bronze bushings 15 and 16 to assure continued free action. Each pin 14 is rigidly connected to an offset reciprocable rod 1'7 extending through aligned bores in the several fittings 11 which may be provided with bronze bushings 18 if desired and which thereby serve as guide means for rod 17. This rigid connection as shown comprises an upward extension 19 of the pin bent back to the rod 17 at an angle, such as 45, and a horizontally extending stiffening arm or brace 20. As shown, the integral extension 19 is welded to rod 17 and the arm 20 is welded to pin 14 and to rod 17.

The rod 17 or an extension thereof may extend upwardly to the window on the next floor where it may be provided with similar pins 14 and pass through similar guiding bores in similar fittings 11 for releasably securing the grating over such window. Additional upward extensions of rod 17 may similarly serve to secure windows on any number of floor levels. Such extensions may be coupled together and with rod 17 by a coupling, such as shown at 21, which is provided with leftand right-hand threads inside the opposite ends thereof for engaging corresponding threads on the adjacent ends of the rod 17 or its extensions. After coupling, the unit 21 may be welded to each rod 17 or extension thereof.

The downward extension 17a is rigidly connected to the control means in the control box 22 which is suitably anchored to the wall of the building as will be explained more fully below. The control box is located where it is readily accessible to authorized persons, preferably at first floor level, and it may be enclosed in a locked compartment or chamber, such as in an annex to the main part of the building, or it may be exposed as shown, suitable precautions in the way of locks and the like being in any event taken to prevent unauthorized operation of the grating release control.

When there are gratings to be operated at a level below the control box 22, one or more extensions rigidly connected to rod 17a, such as rod 17b, is or are provided and each extension carries pins 14 and associated supporting and stiffening members as described above for releasably securing the grating or gratings below. The rigid connection of all such extensions together provides for the simultaneous release of all vertically aligned gratings by the operation of a single control.

The grating shown over the lower window opening in Fig. l is recessed within the opening. The only difference in this mounting from thatof the grating above is in the fact that the brackets or fixtures 8b and 86 project into the window opening or reveal instead of outwardly from the outer face of the building wall around such opening. This requires the fittings 11 and the elements 19 and 20 to extend back into the window opening at an angle. Otherwise the structure is identical to that described hereinabove.

Before describing the control or operating mechanism for reciprocating the rod 17 and its extensions which may for all practical purposes be considered to be a single integral rod extending the full height of the building to span an entire vertical row of gratings to be released, it should be noted that such a reciprocable release rod and its associated control means may be provided for each vertical row of window gratings that it may be necessary or desirable to open quickly in emergencies. Where the inmates are not confined to separately locked quarters, the provision of the release means on a single vertical row of window gratings, such as on the windows at the end of a hall may be adequate to serve the entire building, though if the building is large, several such grating release systems may be desirable, such as at each end of one or more halls on the several floors. It is also desirable to provide such grating release means on the windows opening out on to a fire escape which has fixed stairways or counterbalanced stairways adapted to lower automatically upon receiving the weight of one or more persons. Where the inmates are confined in seperately locked rooms requiring grating releases on many or all of the windows, it is preferred to provide around the upper-floor windows some form of foot-rail or support to provide a walkway and also a higher handrail. These rails may extend between adjacent windows to enable escapees to walk along them around the building to a fire escape provided with a stairway. Such a foot-rail is shown at 23 below the windows and it is supported several inches out from the wall by brackets 24 spaced at intervals along the rail. Hand-rails 25 are similarly mounted between adjacent windows by brackets 26. The rod 17 and its extensions also serve as a fire escape whether or not rails 23 and 25 or other fire escapes are provided. Footrests 72 may be secured at intervals to such rods 17 or its extensions.

The operating means is shown more particularly in Figs. 3 to 8. Figure 4 shows the main support 27 having a back panel 27:: adapted to be secured against the wall of the building by means of the lugs or ears 28 projecting laterally from the panel. The box cover or housing which may be cast of manganese bronze or other tough, nonbrittle alloy has a pair of side walls 29, top and bottom end walls 30 and 31 respectively and sloped front walls 32 and 33. The side walls along their back edges have cut-out portions adapted to receive the ears 28. Small lugs 34 project laterally from the side walls 29 adjacent each end of the cut-outs referred to and a separate interlocking washer-like plate 35 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a lock-washer) has a tongue 36 which projects between the lugs 34 when placed with its generally central bolt-like hole in the corresponding ear 28. The main support 27 can be secured to the wall by the use of suitable bolts, lag-screws or the like extending through the members 35 and 28 and the heads 37 of the bolts may be welded to the members 35 to prevent their being loosened merely by the use of a wrench.

The top end wall 30 has an opening within which an internally threaded sleeve 38 is rigidly secured, such as by welding or the like. The lower end wall 31 is provided with a square opening in alignment with the top wall opening. The main support 27 has a guide block 39 integrally joined to the back panel 27a by the vertical web 40 and the transverse horizontal webs 41 and 42. A projection 43 extending upwardly and outwardly from the block 39 provides one part of an inclined split bearing for the shaft or shank of a bevel pinion 45, the other part being the semi-cylindrical cap 46. The guide block 39 has a square-sectioned bore 47 in alignment with the square opening in the bottom wall 31 of the cover 22. The upper face of the main body of guide block 39 serves as a thrust bearing or it may receive such a bearing for the bevel gear 48 which is in mesh with pinion 45.

Rod 17a and rod 1712 are rigidly secured together by a coupling rod 49 having at its lower end a square-sectioned part 50 adapted to slidably but non-rotatably fit within the square-sectioned bore 47. The opening in wall 31, the bore 47, and part 50 may have any other non-circular section instead of being square, the object of preventing rotation of rod 49 being served in all such cases. The rod 17b has a threaded reduced-diameter end 51 which screws into an end bore within part 50. The rod 49 has an intermediate externally threaded cylindrical section 52 (preferably of reduced diameter) which engages a mating screw thread within the bore of gear 48. The upper end of the rod 49 has a screw-threaded reduced-diameter section 53 which is screwed into the threaded bore of a fitting 54 into which is screwed the lower threaded terminus of rod 17a.

Preferably the screw thread on 52 and in the bore of gear 48 is of such a shallow angle of helix that it is selflocking in the sense that application of axial force on rod 49 cannot cause a turning of gear 48. This condition is obtained when the angle of rise of the mean helix is made less than the angle of friction for the surfaces in contact.

To prevent gear 48 from rising, an externally threaded sleeve 55 is screwed into the sleeve 38 until its shoulder 56 engages the top edge of sleeve 38. The lower end of sleeve 55 retains the gear 48 against the upper end of the main body of the guide block. There is a clearance between the sleeve 55 and the section 52 of rod 49 so that the latter may move axially without interference with the sleeve 55. The fitting 54 may have a skirt or shroud at its lower end to cover the shoulder 56 and the upwardly projecting portion of sleeve 38, thereby to prevent entry of rain and protecting the mechanism within the control box from the weather.

The pinion 45 is held from axial movement by the collar 57 integral therewith and the terminal part 58 of the pinion is formed of special non-circular cross-section requiring a special socket wrench for proper engagement therewith. Figure 7 shows an end view of one form the terminus 58 may take though any of numerous special forms may be used instead. That shown comprises a cylindrical core having three axially extending grooves 59 spaced apart circumferentially different angular distances. The tool 60 for operating the pinion by rotating it shown in Fig. 8 has a socket 61 at one end provided with inwardly etxending ribs 62 spaced apart in a manner corresponding to the grooves 59 in the terminus 58 shown in Fig. 7. Besides using one or more grooves on terminus 58, one or more ridges or a combination of a ridge or ridges with a groove or grooves may be used, in all cases providing a mating socket 61 on the tool.

The front wall 33 of the cover has an inwardly extending boss or sleeve 63 provided with a screw-threaded opening or bore 64 into which a plug 65 is screwed. The outer end of the plug may be shouldered at 66 and a recess in wall 33 may be provided to receive the shoulder of the plug to limit the inward movement of the plug to the position shown where its outer face is fiush with the wall face 33. A recess or socket 67 is provided in the outer face of the plug to receive a proper wrench, such as that shown at 68 on the end of tool 60 (Fig. 8) opposite to that carrying the socket 61. The socket 67 and wrench plug 68 may take various forms as in the case of the pinion terminus 58 and socket 61.

Further security against unauthorized operation may be obtained by providing a transverse bore 69 in the square-sectioned part 50 so located therein as to be just below the wall 31 when the control mechanism is in the normal position it occupies when the grating or gratings are locked. The bar or shackle 70 of a padlock 71 may be inserted through bore 69 and then be locked.

Under normal circumstances, the gratings remain in the locked position and the various parts of the operating mechanism are in the positions in which they are shown in the several views of the drawing. When it is desired to open the gratings for any reason, the authorized operator opens and removes the padlock 71, when such is used, and then applies the end 68 of tool 60 to the socket of plug 65; after removing such plug, he applies the other end of the wrench 60 to the terminus 58 of the pinion 45. He thereby rotates pinion 45 which turn rotates gear 48 which by virtue of its engagement with the screw threads on the intermediate section 52 of the non-rotatable but reciprocable rod 49, causes the rigid rod assembly comprising coupling 49, 17a, 17b, 17, and any other extensions thereof to be elevated. This results in the rapid lifting of the locking or latching pins 14 out of the grating strips 6 and fittings 11, thereby releasing the gratings for free and easy swinging thereof about the hinges or pivots 9.

Some or all of the various parts of the grating or grille as well as of the mounting and latching or fastening means therefor may be of hard or hardened metals or alloys thereof, such as case-hardened steel. Thus, besides the grating strips and rods 6 and 7, and pivots 9, brackets 8, 8a, 8b, 8c, fittings 11, rods 17, 17a, 17b, couplings 21, coupling rods 49, pins 14 and their extensions 19 and braces 20, stiffeners 13, lock-washers 35, se curing bolts 37 or the like, box 22, and so on, may be of such hard or hardened metals to assure that the various parts cannot be damaged or ruptured by such implements as files and hack-saws.

The provision of a self-locking screw-thread drive between the gear 48 and the vertically reciprocable rod assembly comprising rods 17 and 49 assures that even if the lock 71 were not in place, the gratings could not be released merely by a person attempting to lift the rod assembly by a direct application of force thereto. This rod assembly cannot be moved except by rotating the gear 48 which can only be accomplished by providing the proper tools first to open the control box by removing the plug and then to turn the pinion 45.

It is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim 1. A system for protecting a window opening in the wall of a building comprising a window grille, means for pivotally mounting one side of the grille on a generally vertical axis adjacent one side of the opening, fixed bracket means on the other side of the opening, releasable means for latching the grille to the bracket means, guide means in the bracket means, a rigid, substantially vertically extending rod secured rigidly to the latching means and extending through the guide means, a support, means for securing the support in fixed position to the outside of the wall of the building, and means carried by the support for reciprocating the rod lengthwise to operate the latching means.

2. A system as defined in claim 1 in which the means for reciprocating the rod comprises means for preventing rotation of the rod, a self-locking screw thread on the rod, a rotatable member having an internal thread in engagement with the screw thread on the rod, means for rotating the member, and means secured to the support to prevent axial movement of the member.

3. A system as defined in claim 1 in which the bracket means and grille have openings which are aligned with each other in the closed position of the grille, and the latching means comprises a rigid element vertically reciprocable into the aligned openings for locking the grille.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 155,105 Pauly Sept. 15, 1874 319,488 Herzog June 9, 1885 1,640,394 Crowley Aug. 30, 1927 1,839,035 Kannenberg Dec. 29, 1931 1,854,153 Ammen Apr. 12, 1932 1,890,144 Best Dec. 6, 1932 1,966,976 Coyle July 17, 1934 2,400,280 Amthor May 14, 1946 2,416,761 LeLande Mar. 4, 1947 

